


A Needed Push

by BSBLover2538



Category: Backstreet Boys
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:35:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29523723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BSBLover2538/pseuds/BSBLover2538
Summary: Kevin's doing a solo show, and his brother's lack of enthusiasm for it has Kevin down in the dumps the day of the show.
Relationships: Kevin Richardson/Kristin Richardson
Comments: 2





	A Needed Push

Lights were dimmed, the lone occupant on the stage wondering if he was doing the right thing. He wasn’t sure if any of his friends or family would show up tonight. It had been a contentious battle when he revealed he was doing this show tonight. Kevin wasn’t sure if the Boys had forgiven him for blindsiding them. 

“Baby, you okay?” Kristin walked up, rubbing her husband’s shoulders as he leaned on the mic stand. He had just finished soundcheck, and was lost in his memories. 

“Yeah, I’m fine” Kevin replied. 

“Bull….what’s going on love?” Kris knew her husband of 21 years like the back of her hand. 

“Wondering what’s going to happen tonight. I know it’s sold out, but the people I want here, won’t be here” Kevin said glumly. 

“Never say never” Kristin spoke, mystifying Kevin, before pushing her husband towards the dressing rooms. He had meet and greet before his solo concert, and needed to get ready for it. Choosing a Foreigner t-shirt and dark jeans, he downed a couple Tylenol before meeting up with his bodyguard, his friend Keith. 

“Ready man?” Keith smiled, and Kevin nodded distractedly. Keith sighed and grabbed Kevin’s shoulder, whirling the other man around to look at him. 

“Kev, get your head on straight. I know you want the others here, but you need to focus on the meet and greet right now. People are clamoring to see you, solo. They deserve and need your attention on them. You wanted to do this, wanted to do this show. Now take a few breaths and center yourself. There we go, now let’s go do this meet and greet” Keith smiled, and rubbed Kevin’s shoulder warmly before letting go. Kevin looked better, and he relaxed, knowing that Keith’s words were the truth. 

“Let’s go” a genuine smile spread on Kevin’s face, and Keith nodded, walking behind his best friend. 

An hour later, meet and greet was over, and Kevin was preparing to go on stage. It was at this moment, he missed being in a group. He was missing the prayer circle, the chants, all of it. He felt incredibly alone in the moment. Shaking slightly, he took another large breath, and walked out of the dressing room, towards the stage. 

“Good luck bro” Keith muttered as they neared the stage. Kevin nodded and smiled, before walking out on stage. It was a small theater near his home, and they had sold out. All of the profits from the show were going to charity to help the backstage industry out from the aftereffects of the pandemic they had dealt with for 15 months. 

“Evening everyone” Kevin grinned as he walked on stage, raising the mic to his mouth. Cheers and screams hit his ears, and the rush of performing came back to him. Settling down on the stool, he waited for the furor to die down, before he welcomed everyone to the show. 

“I’m just going to be singing a few songs, some covers, some original music, and I’ll take some requests at the end of the show. All the profits from this show are going to help the backstage members of concerts and shows get back on their feet. It’s been a long 15 months with the pandemic, and my family and I just want to help where we can” Kevin introduced the show, smiling softly at the applause. 

“Thank you all for coming, and let’s get started” Kevin adjusted his position, running his hands on his jeans, getting rid of the sweat. He had chosen a light grey sweater on top of dark blue jeans. Something comfortable, but still looking good. Closing his eyes slightly, he raised the mike, and started to sing. Getting lost in the songs, Kevin never looked to the sides of the theater, or he would have seen something unexpected. 

Kristin smiled softly watching her husband sing. All of a sudden she felt a pair of hands on her shoulder, and she looked up, knowing the feel of those hands anywhere. She quickly hugged Nick, AJ, Howie, and Brian. She had convinced the four of them to come, to support Kevin. 

“Thanks for helping us see sense. How’s he doing?” Brain whispered to his cousin, and Kristin smiled grimly. 

“I could tell he was feeling lost. He kept looking around for you guys, and wanted you guys here. It took Keith getting his head on straight to get through meet and greet. I can still tell he’s a little off, but he’s pushing it aside to perform tonight” Kristin admitted. 

Howie, Nick, Brian, and AJ exchanged looks. It had hurt when he had sprung doing a solo show. They normally supported everything each of them did solo, but Kevin had lied to all of them, repeatedly. He had kept it secret for months that he was planning to do this show, and had only told them 2 days ago. 

“We were assholes about it. He didn’t deserve the crap we threw at him. He had every right to do this show, especially since it’s for charity. It just hurt so bad that he lied to us for so long, and it brought back memories of Nick, and we all just flew off the handle” the older blonde sighed as a smile played on his lips, watching the older man perform. 

“Yeah, I remember that debacle with Nick. But then you and Howie went solo, along with AJ. That’s why Kevin was so confused about the anger you four displayed. He was hurt, but he really wanted you guys here tonight” Kristin eyed the four younger men, who flushed. 

“Again, we were assholes. We will make it up to him” AJ swore, and Kristin nodded. The five focused back on watching Kevin perform. He had just started Nobody But You, and fond smiles hit the four men’s faces. They all loved hearing the song, it was one of Kevin’s best. 

Over the next ninety minutes, Kevin performed covers, original songs, and a few requests. The requests were mostly BSB songs, and the four younger Boys exchanged looks as Kevin flawlessly covered their parts, with the exception of Howie’s very high notes. 

Kristin could tell it was almost over, and she wanted to do something for her husband. Taking a chance, she grabbed a mike from one of the backstage guys and walked out on stage. Cheers rang out, and Kevin’s head whipped around, confusion plain on his face. 

“Hey guys, got a bit of a surprise for all of you. Can I introduce my husband’s brothers, the rest of the Boys?” Kristin grinned and Brian, Howie, AJ, and Nick came around the curtain, shocking Kevin to his very core. He jumped up and pulled the four into his arms. The crowd went nuts, and the four youngest looked at Kevin, mics in their hands. Howie leaned up and whispered in Kevin’s ear. 

“Want to do Drowning, or Safest?” 

“Drowning, and then Safest” he whispered back, and Howie nodded, in slight surprise. He hadn’t expected the older man to want to do both. Quickly whispering to Brian, AJ, and Nick, Howie turned to Kristin. 

“We are doing both, let the sound guys know. Drowning, then Safest” Kristin nodded and left the stage, going to the sound booth, after stealing a kiss from Kevin. 

Kevin visibly looked much happier now that the others were on stage with him. Brian looked at his brothers, and grinned, before starting the song off. The crowd went silent as the Boys stood together, Nick hanging on Howie and AJ, Kevin in the middle of them all, singing Drowning happily. They smoothly went into Safest, and the crowd couldn’t get enough of it. 

As the song ended, the four youngest stood back, pushing Kevin in front of them. Fighting tears, Kevin smiled at the crowd, his emotions overwhelming him. 

“Thank you all for coming, and thanks to all of you, we have raised a lot of money for the fund for backstage workers in show business. And a monster thank you to my four brothers for coming here tonight. Loved doing those songs together. Peace and love to all of you, and you’ll hopefully see the five of us soon” Kevin waved, and walked off the stage, the four younger men behind him. 

“What the hell?!” he burst out as soon as they were offstage and in the hallway. AJ grimaced and looked at Nick. The younger blonde swallowed softly, looking at his oldest brother. 

“We were assholes” Nick reiterated Brian’s and AJ’s statement from earlier. “We jumped down your throat and made a big deal out of it for no reason. The four of us went solo, and we had no reason to go after you for doing this show. We are so sorry, and we realized how big we had messed up. Kristin not so politely pointed out how we were acting like bastards, and we realized how badly we fucked up” 

Kevin nodded in agreement. “It hurt, what you guys said. But I still wanted you guys here. Doing this solo stuff is all new for me, and I just wanted the support. Thank you for coming, and supporting me” 

“You’re welcome Kev. We love you so much, and we hope that this leads to the elusive solo album from you. The four of us have been pestering you for years, not to mention the fans. Please consider it, look how the fans reacted tonight to just a few solo songs from you” Howie replied. 

“I won’t commit to anything, but I’ll explore the possibility” Kevin finally spoke after a few moments of silence. 

“I’ll take it” Brian grinned, he was considering doing a second solo album, and knew Nick was working on his fourth, and AJ was going to release his second one. 

Kevin swung his arms over the shoulders of Howie and Brian as the five walked back towards his dressing room. Nick and AJ followed behind, with Keith trailing the five men. He smiled softly to himself, knowing that Kevin had finally gotten the push he needed, to possibly do the solo album that everyone in the BSB army had been waiting for. 2021 was turning out to be better than any of them expected, in the best of ways. 


End file.
